Richard E. “Ted” Wengren Jr.

SOUTH FREEPORT –
Richard E. “Ted” Wengren Jr. died unexpectedly on the night of Nov. 4, 2021, at home in South Freeport.

Ted grew up in Wellesley, Mass., son of Richard Edward Wengren and Jane Hartzog Wengren, and attended Phillips Academy Andover and the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with a master’s degree in architecture in 1970. He will be remembered as a loving and warm-hearted husband, father, and uncle, and a good friend to many he crossed paths with while living in Southern Maine for over 50 years.

Ted was a well-known architect in the Greater Portland area from the early 1970s until he retired in 2010, operating an independent firm, R.E. Wengren Associates, Architects. His work focused mostly on residential properties in Freeport, Yarmouth, Brunswick, and Falmouth, although he designed some public buildings, most notably renovating the former Grove Street School into the current Freeport Town Hall.

In the village of South Freeport, where he and his wife, Mary Eliza, settled, he renovated many historic houses for their present-day owners, giving the village a distinct character of historically-authentic, yet modern and comfortable homes that typified the RE Wengren

architectural style: open living spaces, lots of natural light, smooth flow from room to room, and other custom touches that he created in order to realize the homeowner’s vision for their properties. A walk down Main Street in South Freeport is in many ways a representative tour of Ted’s architectural body of work: clusters of houses having all been renewed by Ted for his neighbors and friends over the years.

In 1986, he founded the Strouts Point Wharf Company, operating it as a successful marina and wooden boat repair yard until selling it in 2016. Strouts Point was built on the same waterfront property of the 1800s-era Soule family shipyard of the same name, from which the Wengren family are descended. Ted designed Strouts Point to harken back to the boat building facilities of the original yard, employing traditional post and beam construction and naturally-weathered cedar shake shingles to feel like its historic namesake. Strouts employed hundreds of local craftspeople over the 30 years he ran it, and continues to prosper today under new ownership. Ted’s love for the water and for Casco Bay was evident in how much attention he gave to making Strouts meet his vision for a quality Maine boatyard, and for the small jet boat he kept there to cruise on the Bay or make day trips to favorite island spots.

In retirement, Ted took up painting, mostly of landscapes of the Maine Coast and surroundings. Ted was inspired by the work of Neil Welliver, with whom he studied drawing as a student. Ted’s paintings have been featured in solo and group shows in galleries throughout Southern Maine, and have been featured in Maine Magazine. He produced over 50 paintings in 20-plus years as an accomplished amateur painter. While not painting, Ted might be seen building or rebuilding any number of things made of wood in his small home studio, from custom chairs, tables, and other furniture pieces, to toys for children in his extended family.

Ted and Mary Eliza also loved to spend time at their property in Alna, which they purchased in the 1970s and then built on by hand a small camp house with the help of family and friends. They have enjoyed weekend getaways to the area ever since, making many good friends in the community over the years.

Ted is survived by his wife of 52 years, Mary Eliza; son, Micah, and daughter-in-law, Bethany Huber, all of South Freeport.

We wish Ted bright, sunny days and fair seas as he embarks on his next voyage, he will be greatly missed.

Please visit http://www.lindquistfuneralhome.com to sign Ted’s online guest book.


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